Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-20
COMMENCING TO FEED.
How to Fatten Animals for Market at the
Smallest Cost.


Smallest Cost.
I like to commence feeding stock
that want to fatten reasonably early.
Soon as the weather begins to get
sufficiently cool so that the stock are
comfortable, much better gain can
be secured than if the feeding is de-
layed until later. When the weather
| is not too cold, either in the spring or
fall, have always regarded as being
the best time for securing the most
gain at the lowest cost, and this is al
ways an item to be considered.
1t is not necessary to commence
giving full feeds at once. In fact,
should consider it a better policy not
to do so, and especially if the pastures
are furnishing any thing like supply
of feed. My plan is to commence feed
ing little heavier, gradually increas-
ing the amount until full feed is
given. like to feed the growing pigs
all summer The additional cost is
very light and Il much better gain can
be secured and the hogs be in a suffi-
GENTLY better condition in the fall to
make the feeding very profitable.
do not consider it necessary to de-
pend entirely upon corn alone either
for fattening hogs or cattle. There
can be no question but that under GER
tain conditions corn is one of the very
best feeds we can have for fattening
stock, but l find it better not TO make
it an exclusive feed, and especially so
where there is partial failure of the :
crop and the price is such that it can
not be fed to stock exclusively with
profit. By using other materials the
stock can be kept gaining steadily ut
less cost often than while corn is used
exclusively. Mill feed, such as braD
and shipstuff, chopped oats and barley
mixed half and half-soaked wheat, can
all be used instead of corn, making up
a good variety and often furnishing a
feed that costs less than corn. As to
which will be the best will depend con-
siderably upon the price at which the
different materials can be purchased.
/ have been able to secure very
good growth during the summer and
fall by letting the hogs have the run OF
the pasture or rather the orchard
and feeding night and MORN
ing shipstuff made into a slop.
Cattle can be fed mill feed in the same
way. II SuIuCItuC dudhLlIg SHNNA~
be given to keep the stock gaining. /
consider it poor policy to keep stock
in good pasture all spring and summer
and then in the fall, just when the food
IS the most important, to allow them TO
begin to fail, and especially so with
stock that we expect to fatten for
market later on. The most econom-
ical plan of fattening stock have ever
tried is to keep the stock gaining from
the start so that when they have made
a sufficient growth very little extra
feeding will be necessary to fatten.
This will answer for cattle, sheep or
hogs
As rule prefer to have the stock
ready for market reasonably early.
When cold, freezing weather sets in il
requires considerable more feed to Sc
cure the same amount of gain than il
does if the stock is fattened, and this
will often make up the difference in
the price. We must secure the largest
gain at the smallest cost, and if this il
done it will often be found necessary
to feed as economically as possible and
fatten stock when it can be done at the
lowest cost.-COr. FsrnseT and Breeder.